Title

Author

Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Mary Hallums

Abstract

School leaders at an urban public high school implemented the Check and Connect (C&C) program to improve student engagement outcomes for at-risk students in 2010-2011. No formal program evaluation of C&C had been conducted in the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 school years to show whether the program was effective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between successful school completion and participation in the C&C program. A quantitative, quasi-experimental program evaluation was conducted to determine whether C&C's student-related variables including cohort, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and truancy predicted students' successful school completion. Archival data of students eligible for graduation (N = 668) were analyzed using chi square tests and logistic regression. Results showed that the model, including C&C participation and all student-related variables, was significant in explaining the variance for successful school completion. Follow-up analyses revealed that C&C participation for the 2013 graduation cohort only, females, and low truancy students were significantly more likely to complete school, suggesting a need for further investigation of the program's implementation strategy. An evaluation report was developed with recommendations to evaluate C&C for implementation fidelity and to consider the use of observable indicators to recruit students for C&C participation who may require targeted or intensive interventions for successful school completion. This endeavor may contribute to positive social change by informing stakeholders of C&C's effectiveness, helping leaders make future decisions about how to approach program implementation and evaluation, and increasing successful school completion.